POTTSTOWN — For most of us, a trip to the Caribbean this winter is not on the agenda. Fortunately, a new downtown restaurant is bringing the taste of the islands to the Pottstown area. The Bamboo Hutt at 449 High St. opened its doors on July 16 and has been serving up island flavors ever since.

Owner Floyd McNeil, a native of Jamaica, noticed that the greater Pottstown area was void of any restaurants featuring Caribbean cuisine, and so when the space on the corner of High and Washington Streets became available, the Bamboo Hutt was born.

“We’re the only Caribbean restaurant in this whole area,” explains McNeil. “We’ve got the best of the best when it comes to Caribbean cuisine. Everything is original, and everything tastes good.”

McNeil’s confidence in his food comes from having 20 years’ experience in the restaurant industry. After moving to the United States as a teenager, he began cleaning restaurants and soon moved up to prep cook. Once he learned the ins and outs of prep work, he was promoted to working as a line cook. Eventually he was given the opportunity to become a manager, working at the Cheesecake Factory, Ruby Tuesday’s, and as part of the opening team for Rain Forest Café.

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“In Jamaica, I grew up with my grandfather baking, so I’ve always had some kind of food experience. I learned even more from being on the job,” said McNeil.

What he learned was that slow cooking produces the most flavorful dishes and a limited menu allows the restaurant to showcase its specialties. All of the recipes come from McNeil, and he does all of the cooking himself, providing what he describes as “comfort food with love.”

Entrées include jerk chicken, curry chicken, curry goat, oxtail, and fried chicken. Each entrée is served with a choice of two sides, including rice and beans, macaroni and cheese, French fries, onion rings, cole slaw, white rice, or a chef’s choice which changes daily and can be anything from a buttery smooth cooked cabbage to a mixed medley of vegetables. A house salad is also available, as is a Caesar salad topped by either jerk or grilled chicken.

One of the restaurant’s top sellers is the jerk chicken that features tender, falling-off-the-bone chicken in a sauce that delivers a spicy sweet heat. The oxtail, which simmers for up to three hours before it reaches the desired consistency of a stew, is also popular. The beef patty, a hand-sized pastry stuffed with a zesty blend of meat and spices, is a common choice for a quick grab-and-go meal. In addition to the beef variety, chicken and vegetable patties are also available.

Monday to Thursday, a lunch special is offered with choice of entrée, two sides, and a drink for only $5.

Now that McNeil, along with his brother Tyrone Walker, who is learning the restaurant business from the ground up, have the Bamboo Hutt up and running, McNeil is able to spend more time looking for a home to purchase so that his three children, Dionne (age 14), Darahy (age 13), and Devon (age 11), will be able to leave his mother’s house in New York and come live here permanently with him.

As McNeil explains, “I came to Pennsylvania for a better life for me and my family and owning a business was always part of the idea to move here. It’s much more quiet, and it’s just a better environment to raise my children in, so that’s why I’m here.”

The Bamboo Hutt is open Monday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and is also available for catering. McNeil has taken his two decades of restaurant experience, combined with his recipes and desire to create something unique, and he invites the greater Pottstown community to stop by the Bamboo Hutt to find out what Caribbean cuisine is all about.

As McNeil explains, “When you go to a mechanic, you want to know that you are going to a mechanic with experience. You don’t want to go to a mechanic that’s experimenting on your car. That’s why people should come to the Bamboo Hutt, because the years of experience I have ends up giving them a better product. It’s definitely different than what’s available at other restaurants.”

Bamboo Hutt is located at 449 High St. in Pottstown and is open Monday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. For more information, call 610-327-2288.